MONDAY 4 JANUARY 2021 www.thepeninsula.qa20 JUMADA I - 1442 VOLUME 25 NUMBER 8492

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Vaccination age limit reduced to 65 FAZEENA SALEEM THE PENINSULA

The age limit for COVID-19 vaccine in Qatar in the first phase has been reduced and a hotline number has also been launched for this particular eligible category of the popu-lation to call and fix an appointment for vaccination, the Ministry of Public Health announced yesterday.

The age limit has been reduced from 70 years to 65 years and above, the Ministry said on its social media accounts. People of 65 years and above who have not yet been contacted can now call the hotline 4027 7077 to book an appointment.

Now after this change, three categories eligible for COVID-19 vaccine are people aged 65 years of age and above, people with severe chronic conditions and healthcare workers with repeated exposure to the virus.

People who are eligible for the vaccination at this stage will

be contacted directly by the Primary Health Care

Corporation (PHCC) by SMS or phone call to arrange their appointment.

“People 65 years and above who have not yet been contacted can now call the PHCC hotline 40277077 to book an appointment,” the Ministry said, adding: “Vaccinations at health centers will only be given to people with pre-arranged appointments.”

The Ministry has requested, all other community members, who do not meet the criteria for the early phase of the campaign to wait until their turn.

The first shipment of Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Doha following an emergency use approval. The COVID-19 vaccination campaign has begun on December 23.

In the first phase of the vac-cination campaign the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are being given to the priority population groups at seven PHCC health

centers: Al Wajba, Leabaib, Al Ruwais, Um Slal, Rawdat Al Khail, Al Thumama and Muaither. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires a second dose to be given 21 days after the first.

“MoPH is working with the pharmaceutical companies to ensure the next shipment of vac-cines arrivew in Qatar as early as possible in 2021 and everyone who needs to be vaccinated will be able to do so throughout the year,” the Ministry said.

To recall, Head of Vacci-nation at MoPH, Dr. Soha Al Bayat, has said that COVID-19 vaccine being provided by Qatar has received high response from the public. Speaking to a Qatar Radio pro-gramme on Saturday, Dr. Al Bayat said that no complaint or any severe type of complication recorded due to the COVID-19 vaccine since the Ministry rolled out the vaccination campaign in the country.

MoPH warns against Ehteraz app scam callsTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has warned the public against anonymous scam phone calls seeking personal information allegedly saying it is necessary for the COVID-19 contact tracing application “Ehteraz”.

The Ministry issued the warning to public send as a notification through the ‘Ehteraz, ’ application yesterday.

The Ministry has clarified that “nobody or entity is authorised to make such calls.”

It has also called on all cit-izens and residents to be cau-tious and alert against scams.

“The MoPH calls on cit-izens and residents to be cau-tious and alert and don’t provide any personal infor-mation or data to any person or entity which claims to be mandate by MoPH or the health sector,” it said.

The Ministry, in cooper-ation with the concerned authorities in Qatar, also affirmed that all information and data related to the appli-cation are fully secured and highly confidential.

The Ehteraz app, developed to help track disease transmission chains, alerts individuals and stake-holders to expedite the pro-vision of medical support and prioritising testing.

A comprehensive update of the app rolled out was on May 24, 2020 with expanded security and privacy features for all users.

“The Ehteraz app’s user privacy and platform security are of the utmost importance,” the Ministry has said during the launch of the app.

Qatar a pioneer in using technology in census: PSA PresidentQNA — DOHA

President of the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA) H E Dr. Saleh bin Mohammed Al Nabit affirmed that the State of Qatar has scored an important achievement and has a pioneering experience in the online census, to become at the forefront of countries that adopt new technology to complete the comprehensive census project according to the highest inter-national standards.

In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), His Excel-lency stated that the electronic census is carried out in con-junction with the field census, which is also uses the highly

advanced technologies repre-sented in handheld devices directly linked to administrative records and systems that help the enumerator to complete the data required with ease, accuracy and complete confidentiality.

He pointed out that more than 190,000 people completed their data electronically via the electronic link www.psa.gov.qa/census2020.aspx, and they com-pletely don’t need to be visited by field enumerator. This is a very good number, and we look forward to increasing the numbers on the electronic census within the remained coming days of the census, he added.

He also stressed that the tech-nological infrastructure in the

State of Qatar is greatly advanced, which allowed the PSA to implement the Qatar 2020 census project in an ideal and unique manner even when compared with advanced countries in this field. We have advanced systems when talking about a technology-based census, but at the same time we are looking forward to greater progress, he said.

The online census is the census of the future and all coun-tries are racing to develop this type of census, but there are dif-ferences in the methodologies of conducting the census, some depend on the census by sample, and some conduct a complete census that includes every facility, building, housing unit and

family so that the data is more comprehensive and modern, and

this is the type approved in Qatar, he added. �P3

Qatar-based artists have been making their mark on designated walls across Doha as part of Jedariart, Qatar Museums’ public art initiative, to activate shared urban areas and add meaning to the city’s walls through curated murals and street art. The public art initiative is being held in partnership with The Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places, Q-Rail, Woqod and Fire Station Artist in Residence.

Traffic violations decline by 8.5% in November 2020IRFAN BUKHARI THE PENINSULA

The traffic violations decreased by 8.5 percent in November 2020 compared to the number of violations registered in November 2019.

According to the latest issue of Qatar Monthly Statistics, 151,521 traffic violations, of all types, were registered in November 2020 while this number stood at 165,589 in November 2019.

The data also indicates

decrease in the number of vio-lations when November 2020 is compared with October 2020 on monthly basis. In October 2020, as many as 162,805 traffic violations had been registered in the country.

As per data released by the Planning and Statistic Authority (PSA) yesterday, as many as 8,194 driving licences were issued in November 2020 while in October 2020, 6,913 driving licences had been issued showing a significant increase of 18.5 percent in issuance of driving licenses in

November last year when com-pared to October 2020.

In November last year, 115,427 vehicles got cleared while 102,088 vehicles had been cleared in November 2019 showing an increase of 13.1 percent in November 2020 on year on year comparison.

The data also shows an increase of 12 percent in traffic accidents in November 2020 when compared with October 2020 while there is a sharp decrease (over 19 percent) in traffic accidents in the

Industrial Area. In October 2020, total 534 traffic accidents were registered in the country while the number soared to 598 traffic accidents in November 2020.

In November last year, 762 building permits were issued in the country which shows an increase of 13 percent on com-parison with November 2019 when 673 building permits had been issued. Among municipal-ities, Doha Municipality tops the list with issuance of 161 building permits in November 2020. �P2

Qatar Airways welcomes its 53rd Airbus A350THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar Airways has wrapped up 2020 with the delivery of its 53rd Airbus A350 on the final day of the year. The national carrier of the State of Qatar is the largest operator of Airbus A350 aircraft with 34 A350-900 and 19 A350-1000, reaffirming its position as the ideal choice for environmen-tally conscious long-haul passengers.

The A350-1000 is fitted with the airline’s multi award-winning Business Class seat, Qsuite, and will operate on strategic routes to and from Africa, the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, H E Akbar Al Baker, said: “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we continue to invest in our fleet, operating the youngest, most fuel-effi-cient and technologically advanced aircraft in the skies. This strategic investment in sustainable twin-engine air-craft has enabled us to con-tinue flying during the most challenging year in aviation’s history, helping take over 3.1 million people home since the start of the pandemic. As global travel recovers, our pas-sengers can rely on us to fly greener and smarter with more flights to more destina-tions via the Best Airport in the

Middle East, Hamad Interna-tional Airport.”

Environmentally conscious passengers can travel with the reassurance that Qatar Airways continuously monitors the market to assess both pas-senger and cargo demand to ensure it operates the most effi-cient aircraft on each route. Rather than being forced to fly oversized aircraft due to limited aircraft options, reducing the flexibility for passengers to travel when they want, Qatar Airways has a variety of sus-tainable aircraft it can choose from to offer more flights with the right capacity in each market. Qatar Airways is fully utilising its fleet of 53 A350 air-craft to more than 45 destina-tions in the airline’s network, including Johannesburg, London, Melbourne, New York, Paris, Sao Paolo and Singapore.

Passengers travelling on-board Qatar Airways’ state-of-the-art Airbus A350-1000 can enjoy: The widest cabin body of any class with larger windows creating an extra spa-cious feel; the widest seats of any aircraft in its category with generous room in all classes; advanced air system tech-nology including HEPA filters, which deliver optimal cabin air quality, renewing air every two to three minutes for more comfort and less fatigue. �P2

Jedariart turns urban areas into a huge canvas

Vaccinations at health centers will only be given to people with pre-arranged appointments.

MoPH is working with the pharmaceutical companies to ensure the next shipment of vaccines arrives in Qatar as early as possible.

4027 7077HOTLINE

launched for people aged 65 and above who have not yet been

contacted for vaccination.

Qatar has scored an important achievement and has a pioneering experience in the online census, to be at the forefront of countries that adopt new technology.

Handheld devices with highly advanced technologies help the enumerator to complete the data with ease, accuracy and complete confidentiality.

190,000More than

People completed their data electronically via the electronic link www.psa.gov.qa/census2020.aspx.

OFFICIAL NEWS

02 MONDAY 4 JANUARY 2021HOME

Amir sends congratulations to President of Swiss ConfederationDOHA: Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent yester-day a cable of congratulations to H E President Guy Parmelin, on the occasion of assuming the presi-dency of the Swiss Confederation, wishing him success, and for the relations between the two countries further development and progress, and the friendly Swiss peoples fur-ther progress and prosperity. Deputy Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani also sent a cable of con-gratulations to H E President Guy Parmelin, on the occasion of assum-ing the presidency of the Swiss Confederation. — QNA

Qatar condemns attacks in NigerDOHA: The State of Qatar expressed its strong condemnation and denun-ciation of the two attacks that targeted two villages in western Niger, which led to dozens of civilian deaths and a number of wounded.In a statement issued yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated the State of Qatar’s firm position of rejecting violence and terrorism, regardless of the motives and rea-sons. The statement expressed the condolences of the State of Qatar to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Niger, wishing the wounded a speedy recovery. — QNA

Qatar condemns bombing in SomaliaDOHA: The State of Qatar voiced strong condemnation and denun-ciation of the bombing that took place near the Somali capital of Mogadishu, killing a number of people, including two foreigners holding Turkish nationality, and wounding others. In a statement issued yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated the State of Qatar’s firm stance on rejecting violence and terrorism regardless of motives and causes. The Minis-try expressed the State of Qatar’s condolences to the families of the victims as well as the governments and peoples of Somalia and Tur-key, wishing the wounded a speedy recovery. — QNA

Qatar condemns killing of 2 French soldiers in Mali

DOHA: The State of Qatar voiced strong condemnation and denun-ciation of the killing of two French soldiers and the injury of another in an explosive device in northern Mali. In a statement issued yester-day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated the State of Qatar’s firm stance on rejecting violence and terrorism regardless of motives and causes. The Ministry expressed the State of Qatar’s condolences to the families of the victims as well as the government and peoples of France, wishing the wounded a speedy recovery. — QNA

NHRC Chairman meets Chairperson of Afghan Independent Human Rights CommissionQNA — DOHA

Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri met yesterday, via video conference, with Chair-

person of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission Shahrzad Akbar. They reviewed aspects of joint cooperation and means of exchanging expertise and experiences with regard to the promotion and protection of human rights.

Chief of Staff meets outgoing US military attachéChief of Staff of Qatar Armed Forces H E Lieutenant-General (Pilot) Ghanem bin Shaheen Al Ghanem met with US Chief Defense Officer and the Department of Defense Attaché to the State, Colonel David Casey, on the occasion of the end of his term as a military attaché to the State of Qatar. The Chief of Staff extended his thanks and appreciation to the US military attaché for his efforts during his tenure in the State of Qatar, and wished him success in performing his future duties. The meeting was attended by a number of officers in Qatar Armed Forces.

MME launches first phase ofQatar Marine EnvironmentalMonitoring Programme 2021QNA — DOHA

The Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) launched yesterday the first phase of the Marine Environmental Moni-toring Programme for the year 2021.

The teams of the Monitoring and Environmental Laboratory Department of MME started col-lecting samples from the marine environment to analyse them and make the necessary meas-urements in several of the coastal marine water moni-toring sites in the State of Qatar. The first phase covers 14 of the coastal water sites in various areas of the country.

During the collection of samples, the Ministry’s field monitoring teams included tourist, and economic and industrial areas, as well as marine reserves and coastal areas that are frequently visited by people, as the marine field environmental scanning is con-ducted semi-annually, during winter and summer.

Field measurements and their results are conducted

during the environmental and the marine field scanning, using the latest scientific and interna-tional devices specialised in field marine readings, and samples are collected from water, marine sediments and seabed soil. The environmental labo-ratory analyses these samples to determine the characteristics and physical results of temper-ature, salinity, dissolved oxygen concentrations, pH, trans-parency of water, chlorine, while chemical measurements are carried out through chemical elements, heavy metals, petroleum hydro-carbons, and the chemically and biologically consumed oxygen.

The Department issues a detailed semi-annual report on the situation of the marine envi-ronment in the State of Qatar, including environmental indi-cators. Efforts to protect the Qatari environment and its resources and their sustaina-bility come within the framework of the attention and care given to the environment under fourth pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030.

QA Holidays offers additional savings for Maldives packagesTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar Airways Holidays cele-brates the beginning of the New Year by offering Qatar’s citizens and residents additional savings of up to QR1,800 on its popular Travel Bubble Holidays packages to the Maldives, for bookings made up to 7 January. Customers can benefit from this exclusive offer by using the discount voucher code ‘maldi-vesdeal’.

Due to high demand, Qatar Airways Holidays extended the travel period of its packages to the Maldives until 5 February 2021, with the last departure date on 31 January 2021. Travel

Bubble Holidays packages are available to book on the Qatar Airways Holidays website or from a local travel agent until 15 January 2021.

Even though the Maldives is no longer part of the Green List countries published by the Ministry of Public Health, the Travel Bubble Holidays remain unaffected and is the only safe and convenient gateway to the tropical islands as no quar-antine or self-isolation upon return is required for Qatar’s citizens and no Exceptional Entry Permit, quarantine or self-isolation upon return required for Qatar’s residents.

Qatar Airways Group Chief

Executive, H E Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are pleased to offer our popular Travel Bubble Hol-idays packages at reduced rates as well as to extend the travel period until 5 February, giving the opportunity to more citizens and residents of Qatar to book a well-deserved holiday to the Maldives with no quarantine or self-isolation upon return.”

All packages include return flights between Qatar and the Maldives on Qatar Airways’ exclusive flights for Travel Bubble Holidays customers, accommodation on a full board basis, return airport transfers, and all taxes. Customers will have access to all hotel facilities,

be able to upgrade their meal package, heavily discounted rates at retail outlets, and flexible cancellation policies.

Three high-end luxury properties including the Sandies Bathala Maldives 4-star resort, Diamonds Thudufushi Beach 5-star resort and Amaya Kuda Rah 5-star resort are exclusively available for guests travelling from Qatar.

For the safety of themselves and fellow travellers, all Travel Bubble Holidays guests must: Take a PCR test in Doha and get a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate issued no more than 72 hours before departure. This is a requirement of the Maldives

government. Sign a release form committing to the terms and conditions of the exclusive Travel Bubble Holidays.

Take a rapid PCR test at Hamad International Airport. Results will be available within 15 minutes, and passengers will be allowed to travel if negative. Arrive in the Maldives, where no additional tests are needed, and take a transfer by speedboat directly to the resort. Return to Maldives airport via speedboat transfer on the day of departure. Take a rapid PCR test upon arrival into Doha. If negative, return home without the need to quarantine or self-isolate.

Qatar strongly condemns attack in Pakistan

DOHA: The State of Qatar expressed its strong condemna-tion and denunciation of the attack that took place in the Balochistan region in Pakistan, which resulted in deaths and injuries. In a statement issued yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated the State of Qatar’s firm position of rejecting violence, terrorism and criminal acts, regardless of the motives and reasons. The statement expressed the condolences of the State of Qatar to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Pakistan, wishing the wounded a speedy recovery. — QNA

Qatar Airways welcomes its 53rd Airbus A350

FROM PAGE 1

The passengers can also enjoy LED mood lighting which mimic a natural sunrise and sunset to help reduce the effects of jet lag; the quietest cabin of any twin-aisle aircraft that includes a draft-free air circulation system resulting in a low ambient cabin noise level for a more peaceful journey.

Due to COVID-19’s impact on travel demand, the airline has grounded its fleet of Airbus A380 as it is not environmen-tally justifiable to operate such a large, four-engine aircraft in the current market. The air-line’s internal benchmark com-pared the A380 to the A350 on routes from Doha to Guangzhou, Frankfurt, London, Melbourne, New York, Paris and Sydney. On a typical one-way flight, the airline found the A350 aircraft saved a minimum of 16 tonnes of carbon dioxide per block hour compared to the A380.

The analysis found that the A380 emitted over 80% more CO2 per block hour than the A350 on each of these routes. In the cases of Melbourne and New York, the A380 emitted 95% more CO2 per block hour with the A350 saving around 20 tonnes of CO2 per block hour. Until passenger demand recovers to appropriate levels, Qatar Airways will continue to keep its A380 aircraft

grounded, ensuring it only operates commercially and environmentally responsible aircraft.

The national carrier of the State of Qatar continues to rebuild its network, which cur-rently stands at over 110 desti-nations with plans to increase to 129 by the end of March 2021. With more frequencies being added to key hubs, Qatar Airways offers unrivalled con-nectivity to passengers, making it easy for them to change their travel dates or destination if they need to.

Passengers can book flights with peace of mind, knowing that Qatar Airways offers unlimited date changes and fee-free refunds for all tickets issued before April 30, 2021, for travel completed by December 31, 2021. The carrier’s industry-leading flexible booking policy also provides the permanent feature of exchanging tickets for a travel voucher with 10% additional value for all cus-tomers booking travel via qatarairways.com. For full terms and conditions visit qatarairways.com/Flexibility.

Traffic violations decline by 8.5% in NovemberFROM PAGE 1

The number of sold prop-erties (286) in November 2019 soared to 504 in November 2020 registering a 76 percent increase. Al Rayyan Municipality tops the list where 118 properties were sold in November 2020 which shows over 118 percent increase compared to November 2019 on yearly basis.

The value of sold properties rose from QR1544.9m in November 2019 to QR2383.2m in November 2020 showing a

significant increase of over 54 percent. The demographic sta-tistics revealed that the total population of Qatar has decreased from 2.77 million during November 2019 to 2.72 million at end of November 2020. The Social Security state-ments reached QR83m in November 2020, for 14512 ben-eficiaries, recording a monthly increase of 4.1% and 1.7% for the value of social security and for the number of beneficiaries of Social Security respectively.

As for the Banking Sector, total Broad Money Supply (M2) recorded about QR583.1bn during November 2020, an annual increase of 3.5% com-pared with November 2019. On the other hand, cash equivalents; including Commercial Bank Deposits, attained for QR884.8bn during November 2020. The figure has recorded an annual increase of 6.5% compared to November 2019, when deposits recorded approximately QR830.5bn.

Qatar's national carrier currently flies to over 110 destinations with plans to increase to 129 by the end of March 2021.

03MONDAY 4 JANUARY 2021 HOME

Afghanistan FM meets Qatar's AmbassadorMinister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan H E Mohammad Haneef Atmar met with Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Afghanistan H E Saeed bin Mubarak Al Khayarin. During the meeting, they reviewed cooperation and relations between the two countries, in addition to issues of common interest. The Afghan Foreign Minister thanked the State of Qatar for its role in the Afghan peace process.

Ooredoo announces online payments now enabled with Al Khalij BankTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Ooredoo has announced its customers can now pay for Ooredoo services via their Al Khalij Commercial Bank (al khaliji) online banking.

Following a partnership agreement signed previously between Ooredoo and al khaliji, online payment services have been enabled, and Ooredoo cus-tomers can now use online banking to make payments for Shahry, Qatarna, and Home Broadband bills, in addition to recharging prepaid accounts.

Speaking of the partnership, Director PR at Ooredoo Sabah Rabiah Al Kuwari said: “Giving our customers yet another quick, easy and convenient way to pay for our services fits perfectly with our aim of complete customer satisfaction. With the new

payment services being online, it is another step forward on our journey towards complete digi-talisation. We’re delighted to be working with such a renowned financial institution as al khaliji and look forward to seeing our customers making good use of the service.”

Head of Personal Banking at al khaliji Rana Al Asaad said: “Our new partnership with Ooredoo is one of the many ways

in which we continue to expand the benefits that are available to our customers through online banking. Key to the digitalisation of our services and our industry is by strengthening our local partnerships and using our com-bined synergies to serve our cus-tomers’ needs that are evolving with the times to benefit from a range of added advantages. With Ooredoo on board, we build a new bridge with customers, to always bring them the best in the industry.”

Online banking with al khaliji Bank is available 24/7, allowing customers to log on, pay bills and recharge anytime, from wherever they are.

This way, they can avoid queues at the bank and make payments as needed, outside of branch operation hours, in a fast, convenient, and efficient way.

Public art: Artists add striking murals to Doha’s wallsTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Over the past month, Qatar-based artists have been making their mark on designated walls across Doha as part of Jedariart, Qatar Museums’ public art initi-ative to activate shared urban areas and add meaning to the city’s walls through curated murals and street art.

The public art initiative, held in partnership with The Super-visory Committee of Beautifi-cation of Roads and Public Places, Q-Rail, Woqod and Fire Station: Artist in Residence invited 18 Qatar-based artists to breathe new life into walls in various locations across the city with murals that shine light on variety of topics and spark con-structive debate.

Architect Abdulrahman Al Ishaq, Director of Public Art at Qatar Museums, said: “Qatar Museums is proud to have part-nered with an immensely tal-ented group of artists, who each brought their unique artistic style to life through murals that enrich the public realm and encourage cultural dialogue. We also extend our appreciation to our valued partners and sponsors — The Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places, Q-Rail,

Woqod and the Fire Station: Artists in Residence — whose contributions and support made Jedariart a success.

"This month-long initiative has enabled us to further expand our public art reach, making art accessible to the wider com-munity and bringing to life more urban spaces across the city.”

Striking new murals have been added to walls at Fire Station, Al Abraj Park, Doha Fes-tival City Interchange, Alkhor Interchange, Doha Expressway, Post Office Park, 5/6 Park, 5/6 Flyover, Qatar National Library Metro Station, Abdulla Bin Hamad Al Attiyah District and the Woqod Petrol Station in Fereej Kulaib.

Expressing pleasure at being

one of the partners of Jedariart, Sara Kafood, Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Committee for Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar, said: “We are pleased to be part of this ini-tiative in which artists have transformed walls into works of art that address societal topics of relevance. These public artworks, each with their own individual character and message, will gain the admi-ration of a multicultural audience.”

Participating artists were selected following an open call, in which aspiring and estab-lished artists in Doha were requested to submit a proposal detailing a concept for a mural that takes into consideration the

piece’s relevance to the com-munity and the message the artwork aims to convey.

Saud Al Dosari, Public Rela-tions Manager, Woqod, said: “As a socially responsible Qatari company, Woqod is honoured to be part of Jedariart, a Qatar Museums initiative that supports local artists and transforms the city’s urban spaces into an outdoor gallery. Such initiatives are key to increasing tourist attractions and contributing to a vibrant and colourful city.”

Participating artists included Mubarak Al Malik, Huda Basahal, Noura Al Man-soori, Dimitrije Bugarski, Nada Khozestani, Sharefa Al Mannai, Thamer Al Dossari, Muna Al Bader, Fatima Al Sharshani,

Michael Perrone and his team, Maryam Al Maadhadi, Shuaa Al Kuwari, Abdulaziz Yousef, Abdulla Al Emadi, Alanoud Al Ghamdi, Haifa Al Khuzaei, Maha Al Jaidah, and Aisha Al Fadhala.

Abdulla Ali Al Mawlawi, Communication and Public Relations Director, Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail), said: “We are pleased to coop-erate with Qatar Museums for the Jedariart public art initi-ative. These artworks add an aesthetically pleasing touch to the Qatar National Library and Msheireb metro stations and enrich the art scene in Qatar, serving as points of attraction for commuters while spreading QRail’s message among the wider community.”

Haifa Al Khuzaei works on her public art work. RIGHT: A painting by artist Abdulaziz Yousef at an interchange.

MME launches drive to remove abandoned vehicles in Al ShamalTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Joint Committee for Removing Abandoned Vehicles at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) yesterday launched a campaign to remove abandoned vehicles in Al Shamal Municipality.

The week-long campaign started from Al Ruwais area. It will gradually move to all areas until the removal of all aban-doned vehicles from the Munic-ipality,” said Director of Services Affairs Department at Al Shamal Municipality, Hasan Khalifa Al Faihani.

He said inspectors marked all abandoned vehicles across the Municipality and the

campaign has been launched to remove those vehicles in coor-dination with the Joint Com-mittee. Al Faihani said the cam-paign was launched following the Law No. 18 of 2017 of Public Hygiene to preserve public health and ensure environ-mental protection.

A large number of people were educated about the impact of abandoned vehicles under the campaign. Many owners removed their abandoned vehicles responding to the drive. The inspectors of joint committee put warning stickers on abandoned vehicles, giving a grace period of three days to owners of the vehicles to remove them. However, if a

vehicle hinders traffic flow it is removed immediately without any warning.

The abandoned vehicles will be taken to impounding ground where they will be kept for three months for owners to claim them. After that, the road permits will be cancelled.

The abandoned vehicles put a hindrance in the way of implementing key development projects of the area apart from other factors related to health, hygiene and beauty of the place.

The Joint Committee for Removing Abandoned Vehicles had started its work plan after it was restructured according to Ministerial Resolution No.178 for the year 2020. An abandoned vehicle being removed in Al Shamal Municipality.

Ooredoo customers can now use al khaliji online banking to make payments for Shahry, Qatarna, and Home Broadband bills, in addition to recharging prepaid accounts.

Qatar a pioneer in using technology in census: PSA PresidentFROM PAGE 1

He pointed out that the experience of Qatar in the elec-tronic census is very good, and that it could be better, adding that their ambition is much greater than what they have done so far, thanks to the material and human capabilities of the state and the unlimited support for the technology and communications sector. He added that they had hoped to focus on administrative records and building databases faster, saying that they are at a very advanced stage when compared to other countries in the region.

He added that they had hoped that the census would be fully electronic this year, but there are obstacles related to the response from families to this type of census, and most of them prefer to deal directly with the field enumerator to ask some

inquiries about the statistical form despite the presence of a phone number for inquiries and questions for those who provide the data electronically, and the ease of the electronic method.

Regarding the experience of the 2010 census, the PSA Pres-ident indicated that it was a good experience in terms of relying on technology to conduct the census, paving the way for the 2020 census, which witnessed an important development in the statistical form and the tech-niques used in the handheld devices of field enumerators, as well as the development in con-necting these handheld devices with the administrative records that contain the data of citizens and residents.

Regarding the challenges that usually face the electronic census, he explained that the State of Qatar is characterized

by the diversity of families whose data are collected from local, expatriate, Arab and non-Arab families, and small and large labor gatherings, resulting in a difference in the nature of the response to the census from one category to another, adding that it is not possible to set eve-ryone in one box with regard to responding to the electronic census, and some feel confident and reassured when providing data through the field enu-merator, as they are fully aware of the nature of the required data, and they have someone to help them complete the statis-tical form.

PSA President Dr. Saleh bin Mohammed Al Nabit affirmed that the preliminary indicators of the census are very good and show high turnout, saying that it is because of the national awareness of the importance of

the General Census of Popu-lation, Housing and Establish-ments project, as well as the sta-tistical data they provide to serve development, in addition to the well-managed handling of field enumerators who have been trained and thoroughly selected.

Regarding the electronic connectivity between PSA and the data-issuing bodies, he explained that connecting with the main bodies has been com-pleted, noting that connecting is not a process that ends at a spe-cific time, but rather a process that is constantly being developed, with the difference of the connecting process with each body; as there is partial connectivity and full connec-tivity, in addition to another that aims to provide data at suc-cessive periods.

He indicated that they are hoping to develop a kind of

skillful connectivity with the concerned authorities with a focus on the connectivity’s quality and sustainability, adding that their aspired goal is to dis-pense with field censuses in the future, and to mainly rely on administrative records in cen-suses, which is what they aspire to accomplish in future censuses.

A census based on adminis-trative records is possible in the State of Qatar, he said, adding that these records will be suffi-cient to obtain the basic data required for the census. He pointed out that 2025 will witness the census’ midpoint, as it will be based on administrative records to represent a significant experience for the compre-hensive general census in the year 2030.

On the type of data required in the statistical form, Dr. Al

Nabit explained that the ques-tions of the census questionnaire are based on many sources, some of which are subject to international standards, adding that the minimum number of questions is based on the rec-ommendations of the UN, while some of them are based on the directives of international and regional (Arab and Gulf) statis-tical organizations.

The PSA President expressed his thanks and gratitude for all citizens and residents who com-pleted their statistical data and cooperated with the Authority in the implementation of this national project, calling on those who have not completed their data to do so either via www.psa.gov.qa/census2020.aspx, or by cooperating with the field enu-merators during the remaining period that is due to end in mid-January.

MoPH: 197 new COVID-19 cases, 124 recoveriesTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) yesterday announced the registration of 197 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. Among them 50 were trav-ellers returning from abroad.

Also 124 people have recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recovered cases in Qatar to 141,808. All new cases have been introduced to isolation and are receiving necessary healthcare according to their health status.

The total number of pos-itive COVID-19 cases recorded in Qatar is 144,437 and there are 2,315 active cases under treatment.

While the first phase of COVID-19 vaccinations has started in Qatar and in the coming months it will be available for the public for free, the Ministry has stressed it is important for everyone to play their role in controlling the virus by following precau-tionary measures including adhering to physical dis-tancing; avoiding close contact with others, crowded places, and confined closed spaces where other people con-gregate; wearing a face mask and washing hands regularly.

Four arrested for violating home quarantineQNA — DOHA

The designated authorities arrested on Sunday four persons who violated the requirements of the home quarantine, they committed to following, which they are legally accountable for.

The violators currently being referred to the prose-cution, are Muzammil Kam-palabito, Omair Sabah Saif Al Majid Al Nuaimi, Zeeshan Jamshid Iqbal and Ibrahim Mubarak Ibrahim Al Ali Al Maadeed.

04 MONDAY 4 JANUARY 2021HOME

Qatar Scientific Club concludesactivities of Spring Science CampQNA — DOHA

The Qatar Scientific Club (QSC) concluded the activities of the Spring Science Camp, which was held at its headquarters under the slogan “Discover and Innovate”.

Registration was accepted with only 50% of the capacity for each class group, so that the maximum number in the halls was only 10 participants instead of 20 participants in normal cases.

As many as 160 participants took part in the entire activity, while fully observing the pre-cautionary measures related to the coronavirus pandemic.

A special programme and tools were assigned to each par-ticipant, and the age groups were divided into three cate-gories: (7 to 9 years old), (10 to 12 years old), and (13 to 16 years old). Head of the Scientific Activ-ities and Events Department at

the Qatar Scientific Club Sheikh Ali bin Salman Al Thani thanked the Ministry of Culture and Sports for its support for such events that provide participants with science and knowledge, and also contribute to increasing their self-confidence by prac-ticing and using their hands in the implementation of applied projects.

The Scientific Club stated that the camp presented new topics and projects that were implemented, such as manufac-turing means to prevent coro-navirus (COVID-19), in addition to implementing the solar-powered project and imple-menting the robot model. School students with their projects at Spring Science Camp organised by Qatar Scientific Club.

QRCS sponsors major thoracic surgeries for Gaza patientsTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

A team of doctors hired by Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) performed six operations at the Al Shefaa Medical Complex in Gaza. The operations included the removal of pulmonary tumours and right superior lobectomy using new technologies for the first time in Gaza.

The team comprised Dr. Raed Al Arini, the thoracic surgery consultant; Dr. Diego González-Rivas, a globally renowned thoracic surgery specialist; and Dr. Firas Abu Akir, Head of Thoracic Surgery and Endoscopy Department at the Al Makassed Hospital in Jerusalem.

Dr. Al Arini said the medical inter-vention done with the help of Prof. González-Rivas involved surgeries that had never been performed in Gaza, amid the blockade and closure of crossings, which prevented the travel of critical cases for treatment abroad.

He described the visit by the Spanish surgeon as a good opportunity for the

local medical staff to acquire intensive practical experience, as he is one of the world’s best physician-endoscopists who is active in many countries.

Prof. González-Rivas expressed his admiration of QRCS’s programme of

contracting him under the project of equipping the Specialized Surgeries Building with a state-of-the-art thoracic endoscope, which was used in the six surgeries at the Al Shefaa Medical Complex.

During their two-day visit, the Spanish medical delegation delivered an online seminar for 100 Palestinian physicians and many medical students of the Islamic University of Gaza’s (IU-G) Faculty of Medicine.

QRCS and the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MOH) in Gaza are working hard together to develop the thoracic surgical services in the blockade. Over one year, 810 thoracic surgeries were performed at the Al Shefaa Medical Complex and European Gaza Hospital (EGH). Additionally, there were 180 tho-racic endoscopic operations at the Nasser Medical Complex, under the project of supporting specialised sur-gical services in the Gaza Strip.

With a total budget of $1.4m, the project also involves such specialised surgical interventions as cardiovascular surgery and orthopaedics, training pro-grammes such as the Master of Health Policy and Management and Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Diploma, and support for phenylketonuria (PKU) patients.

The medical team put together by QRCS also included a renowned Spanish surgeon, who also delivered a lecture for physicians and medical students in Gaza.

As many as 160 participants took part in the entire activity, while fully observing the precautionary measures related to the coronavirus pandemic.

MoCI recalls Mercedes-Benz SLK CLASS model of 2007THE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), in cooper-ation with Nasser Bin Khaled Automobiles, dealer of Mercedes-Benz in Qatar, has announced the recall of Mercedes-Benz SLK CLASS model of 2007, due to potential defect in the driver’s airbag. The recall campaign comes within the framework of the Ministry’s continuous efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.

Doha Festival City meets 2021 with a myriad of exciting openingsTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Doha Festival City wraps up 2020 with great achievements, having broadened its mall offering with more store openings for shoppers to enjoy.

Across dining, fashion, accessories, kids stores, home furnishings, and more spe-cialised outlets, a diverse range of highly anticipated stores have recently opened their doors at the mall, contributing to a broader range of offerings, with the wave of new openings set to continue.

In 2021, Doha Festival City will host more than 20 new brands, some of which will make their debut in Qatar, exclusively at Doha Festival City. The stable of respected brands welcomed to the mall has grown to more than 420 stores, further strengthening Doha Festival City’s leading position as a unique, global shopping and lifestyle desti-nation, offering impressive fashion, dining, and

entertainment choice outlets for all tastes and levels of income.

Over 100 dining outlets are now open at the mall, inviting guests to experience cuisines from Middle Eastern delights to the finest Italian gastronomy experience, and spicy Asian dishes, catering to all tastes, including vegetarians.

The connoisseurs of fine chocolates will appreciate the recently opened Swiss Lad-erach, offering only the top quality directly from the cocoa bean to the chocolate shop, while Jasmine Flowers will now be the perfect destination for those looking for exquisite chocolates and flower arrange-ments. On the same note, White Sugar is the most recent addition to Doha Festival City’s sweet offering, proposing culinary delights from across the globe with a selection of mouthwatering desserts.

With more upgrades on the fashion side, renowned Leb-anese brand for special occa-sions and wedding dresses,

Mambo Couture, has joined Doha Festival City’s luxury area.

The mall keeps enhancing its beauty offering, with Clarins, the iconic French luxury brand boasting premium face and body care products, having opened its doors on the ground floor to the delight of all beauty addicts in Qatar.

Doha Festival City’s jew-ellery selection was also upgraded in 2020, with the opening of top-of-the-line Turkish brand Amor Diamond,

offering exceptional gems and elaborated jewellery pieces.

Doha Festival City has also opened Pan Emirates Furniture for those seeking to embellish their homes, offering stunning furnishings that can upgrade any house, from a studio to a villa or even an office space.

Furthermore, and for the first time in Qatar, Doha Fes-tival City welcomes world-cel-ebrated Korean lifestyle brand Mumuso, focusing on fash-ionable home, apparel, beauty,

stationery, and household products with trendy designs.

The new year in Doha Fes-tival City is also marked by the opening of the socially-respon-sible shoe brand TOMS, founded by the entrepreneur and phi-lanthropist Blake Mycoskie whose charity-focused but for-profit business supports vul-nerable populations across the world. Shoppers are now able to make a difference in the life of an unprivileged child or adult while shopping at TOMS.

Doha Festival City’s strategy caters to all family members and generations, giving par-ticular importance to kids’ leisure activities, including edutainment. As part of its com-mitment to kids’ development and wellbeing, Doha Festival City opened a new play center ‘Spark Sense and Play,’ hosting toddlers and children from 6 months to 10 years old. It offers a wide range of activities to enhance children’s potential through art, sensory, and pretend to play in an inclusive

environment. The extensive mix of quality

outlets will also expand in 2021 with a host of new store openings. Choco Melt, a coffee shop specialised in chocolate sweets, dipped fruits, and hot and cold chocolate-based drinks, will join Doha Festival City.

Turkish restaurant chain Karafirin will also open at the mall in early 2021. Fur-thermore, the mall will enrich its jewellery offer with Al-Makki Jewelry’s opening.

Commenting on the new stores’ openings, Doha Festival City’s General Manager, Robert Hall, said: “We are delighted with our achievements this year (2020), despite the challenges that we had to face. Our retailers are our greatest asset, and we hope that with the variety of our newly opened stores, our offering will cater to a wider pool of customers, strengthening Doha Festival City’s position as the mall of choice for all shoppers.”

French luxury brand Clarins has also opened at Doha Festival City.

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Climate change is everywhere. No region of the globe is spared, and the multiplication of extreme weather events is one of its most visible manifes-tations.

Safety of populations and economic development do depend on it more than you know. Qatar has tackled this issue years ago by investing massively in the strengthening of its national meteorological service: QMD (Qatar Meteor-ology Department).

To do so, QMD has collab-orated with Meteo France International (MFI), a sub-sidiary of a leading European national meteorological service, specialised in the design and implementation of global modernisation projects for national met services, around the world.

MFI has developed an exclusive turnkey approach that relies on the combination of state-of-the-art information systems and a large panel of support services such as change management, training, assistance to operational start,

long-term support, etc. Based on this approach, MFI has assisted major services such as the IMD in India, MOWRAM in Cambodia, BMKG in Indonesia or INAMET in Angola. MFI works closely with the local partner — Bayanat Engineering Qatar, the leading airspace and military solutions provider in Qatar, specialising in meteor-ology, communication, IT, security, ATC, and navigation, to name a few.

The relationship between QMD and MFI goes back to more than 15 years ago. It started in 2005 with an ambi-tious strengthening project which included the implemen-tation of high-tech met infor-mation systems (forecasting, early warning, climatology, etc.), but also an intensive capacity building program, especially in the field of service development for end-users.

Many more common projects followed: The devel-opment of the meteorological department of the Qatar Aer-onautical College (QAC), the creation of a mobile forecasting unit, the “MeteoMobile”, capable of providing met

assistance for outdoor events, etc. One of the projects cur-rently under way is the upgrade of METEOFACTORY, MFI’s solution for Early Warning and Public Weather Services. METEOFACTORY introduces many new features, which will allow QMD to improve its daily operations and dissemination of meteorological products to a larger audience.

A few years ago, to ensure the best possible service to QMD, MFI partnered with Bayanat Engineering Qatar, selected for its technical expertise and its strong posi-tioning in the Middle East.

Since then, MFI and

Bayanat Engi-neering Qatar closely collab-orate to allow QMD to always stay at the fore-front of tech-nology in terms of better adaptation to climate change, risk minimization for populations and efficient support to major economic sectors

such as oil & gas. The issue of weather sen-

sitivity being a little bit more crucial every day, there is no doubt that the strong part-nership between MFI and Bayanat Engineering Qatar has a bright future ahead. The duo is ready to assist the QMD to meet the challenges of the future, particularly in the fields of impact-based forecast, climate services, development of a Qatari agri-business, and other, and of course, the high-end meteorological coverage of the FIFA World Cup in 2022 is on everybody’s mind.

Hassan Ezzedine, General Manager, Bayanat Engineering

Qatar, said: “Working with Qatar Meteorology Department we do strive to deliver best solutions and quality work pos-sible, being successful in mul-tiple projects we have joined our work with MFI few years ago to ensure the client gets the best service possible. We are working with international companies in order to bring best possible solutions and implement them in our work. METEOFACTORY upgrade project features many new functions, which will assist QMD for improving daily oper-ations. Bayanat Engineering Qatar appreciates international partners that trust us repre-senting them in Qatar market.”

David Bousigue, Middle East Sales Manager, MFI, said: “Our successful long-term rela-tionship with QMD relies on the visionary approach of QMD Directors, the ambition of QCAA on climate matters, and MFI’s flexibility and spirit of inno-vation. We are very proud to share our expertise and to have contributed, in partnership with Bayanat Engineering, to the position of QMD as leading Met Service in the Middle East.”

Bayanat Engineering Qatar assisting QMD to meet future challenges

Karwa buses to restart charging commutersTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Karwa buses will start charging commuters for travel again from January 10 onwards.

“We would like to inform you that from January 10 onwards our services will be charged again as usual,” the public bus transport provider said in a notification on the Karwa Bus app.

Karwa was offering free rides to passengers after they restarted public bus service with 30 percent capacity as part of the Phase 4 of gradual lifting of COVID-19 curbs on public transit system on Sep-tember 1.

Mowasalat said in the noti-fication that the rechargeable Karwa Smartcard will still be valid and can be used as usual, but the Karwa Smartcards 24 hours limited and unlimited will not be sold through mer-chants or the bus drivers anymore.

“You can conveniently purchase the 24 hours unlimited QR Code Ticket through the Karwa Bus App,” they added.

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Five years ago this month Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Al Wakra Hospital (AWH) was designated as a Center of Excel-lence for Hernia Surgery by the Surgical Review Corporation (SRC), an independent, patient-safety organization and the leading administrator of quality improvement and accreditation programs for surgeons and hospitals around the world.

Medical Director of Al Wakra Hospital, Dr. Sabah Adnan Al Kadhi has said that five years on he continues to feel proud of his facility for becoming the first hospital in the Middle East to receive the prestigious accreditation; worldwide, fewer than one percent of hospitals that perform hernia surgeries have earned the accreditation. Al Wakra Hospital has also received Center of Excellence accreditations from the SRC for its Urinary Stone Center and Bariatric Surgery Center.

“The Center of Excellence designation provides patients with the confidence that they are receiving the best possible care from physicians at an insti-tution with a track record of safety and that rigorous standards for delivering safe, effective, evidence-based care have been met,” said Dr. Al Kadhi.

“Our physicians and staff have always placed patient safety at the forefront and

obtaining this accreditation and re-accreditation reflect and reiterate our commitment to delivering high-quality surgical care. In bestowing the accred-itation for our hernia surgery program, SRC recognized our team’s dedication to placing patient safety at the forefront,” added Dr. Al Kadhi.

Dr. Al Kadhi says Al Wakra Hospital, which performs upwards of 570 hernia surgeries each year has expanded its hernia surgery service since first being accredited by SRC. He says four years ago the advanced da Vinci Surgical System was introduced as part of the hospital’s robotic surgery program. The da Vinci Surgical System is considered a break-through in minimally invasive surgery, providing multiple advantages including a monitor that lets surgeons better see

inside a patient, a steady robotic arm allowing for more pre-cision, and a record of faster recoveries for patients.

“Many people in our com-munity don’t realise the excep-tional level of surgery skills, knowledge, and experience that we have at Al Wakra Hospital. I’m proud of the team we have built and the level of expertise we can offer our patients close to home,” said Dr. Al Kadhi.

“Our surgical program is continuing to expand as we remain focused on providing each patient with an individu-alized approach to their health problems. The introduction of the da Vinci Surgical System in 2016 has not only allowed us to perform more hernia surgeries but also to get our patients back to their regular life as quickly as possible – with less pain, smaller scars, and a faster recovery,” added Dr. Al Kadhi.

A hernia happens when part of an internal organ, usually the bowel, bulges through a weak area of muscle. Most hernias occur in the abdomen. Hernias are common, affecting men, women, and children. Most hernias are caused by a combi-nation of muscle weakness and straining, such as with heavy lifting. However, some people are born with weak abdominal muscles and may be more likely to get a hernia. Inguinal hernias appear in the groin and are more common in men than women. A ventral hernia, including incisional hernia, occurs at the site of a surgical scar and is common in patients who have had open abdominal surgery.

Healthcare organizations seeking accreditation, and reac-creditation, by SRC undergo an extensive self-assessment and on-site inspection process. Dr. Al Kadhi says the designation remains noteworthy for his hospital as it demonstrates a commitment to excellence and improving the health and well-being of patients.

“Earning this certification signifies our ability to consist-ently deliver the safest, highest-quality care to hernia surgery patients here at Al Wakra Hos-pital. It signals that our facility and surgeons are among the best in the specialty and are dedicated to delivering the highest level of care possible,” added Dr. Al Kadhi.

05MONDAY 4 JANUARY 2021 HOME

“Many people in our community don’t realise the exceptional level of surgery skills, knowledge, and experience that we have at Al Wakra Hospital. I’m proud of the team we have built and the level of expertise we can offer our patients close to home,” said Dr. Al Kadhi.

HBKU highlights potential new applications for selective enzyme inhibitors in leading journalTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

A valuable review of the structure of the PDE5 enzyme and its interaction with clini-cally relevant inhibitors conducted by an assistant professor at the College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Dr. Kabir H. Biswas has been published by the multidis-ciplinary Biomedicine & Phar-macotherapy journal.

Dr. Biswas co-authored the review article with Dr. Anu-priya M. Geethakumari, a post-doctoral fellow, and Wesam S. Ahmed, a Doctor of Philosophy student in Biological and Bio-medical Sciences at CHLS, both members of the Biswas Lab, an interdisciplinary group engaged in understanding the mechanisms of cellular adhesion and signaling, and developing means to manip-ulate the same. Dr. Biswas’s laboratory employs a variety of approaches including engi-neering precision biosensors and biointerfaces.

Reviewing the structure of phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5), a

relatively well-studied multid-omain enzyme, and how its function is regulated, the article focused on the clinically rel-evant inhibitors that target the protein with the aim of better understanding the structural bases of their affinity and specificity.

The pharmacological inhi-bition of PDE5 has already been demonstrated to have several therapeutic applications. While they are designed to inhibit PDE5, the inhibitors show dif-ferent affinities and specificities against various other PDE sub-types. Understanding how these inhibitors interact with PDE5

and the structural basis of their selectivity is critically important for the design of novel, highly selective PDE5 inhibitors as well as precision medicine-based therapy.

The article also notes that while PDE5 inhibitors have several therapeutic applica-tions, only three of these are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. With increasing evidence that PDE5 inhibitors could play a role in managing a number of addi-tional diseases, including cancer and COVID-19 complications, clinical studies are warranted in order to extend the

therapeutic applications of these inhibitors to a wider range of diseases. The full published article is accessible online.

Professor and Head of the Division of Biological and Bio-medical Sciences, CHLS, Dr. Dindial Ramotar, said: “PDE5 inhibitors have shown their potential for multiple medical

applications, including potential treatment for cancer and heart disease, and as a result there is an understandably heightened keenness for developing novel PDE5 inhibitors. Our study at the Biswas Lab aimed to fulfil a fundamental aspect of such work, and that is to collate what we know about this enzyme and

its inhibitors in order to fully understand their therapeutic indications.

“The publication is therefore likely to prove very useful to researchers engaged in this field and this aligns well with CHLS’ ongoing interventions to address the pressing needs of the healthcare sector.”

Dr. Kabir Biswas Dr. Dindial Ramotar

Over 570 hernia surgeries performed each year at HMC Al Wakra Hospital

Dr. Sabah Adnan Al Kadhi, Medical Director of Al Wakra Hospital

QDA camp helps childrenlearn how to control diabetesTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The 21st Al Bawasil Diabetes Camp, organised by Qatar Diabetes Association (QDA), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), concluded on Saturday. Due to the current health conditions, the camp’s activities have been carried out via the zoom platform.

Al Bawasil camp has brought together 48 children for four days program of edu-cation, activities and enter-tainment to help them deal and living with diabetes. The objective of the camp is to teach the children with diabetes how to self-control diabetes and avoid complications in order to reach their full potential.

Commenting on the event, Executive Director, QDA, Dr.

Abdulla Al Hamaq said: “Through our accumulated experience in organizing dia-betes camps, we have seen how the camps enhance the confi-dence of children and their parents as well and develop confidence and the ability to take care of themselves.

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) decided in 2013 to adopt and recognize Al-Bawasil Diabetes Camp as an International camp because it contains educational and awareness programs that can serve children of diabetes around the world.

The first Al Bawasil Diabetes Camp was held in January 1999, and has been held every year since then. It has become one of the most important diabetes camps in the region.

Tough battle between falcons and pigeon in Marmi FestivalTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Falcons yesterday continued hunting pigeon of Abdullah Fakhro in the Hudad Al Tahadi Championship which is being held under 12th International Falconry and Hunting Festival, Marmi. Held under the patronage H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, the event will conclude on January 30, 2021.

The Shahin falcons forced pigeon of Abdullah Fakhro to surrender and wave white flag. Four contestants qualified for the final round to obtain QR100,000 each which will be held on January 29, 2021.

Three Shahin falcons qual-ified for final round of Hudad Al Tahaddi Championship. The birds belong to Mesaimeer Team, Golden Team and Al Mashghar Team. The semifinal of Al Tala Championship held yesterday morning for the groups 13 to 18.

For next round, four falcons qualified at the rate of two falcons of Brazan Team and same number for Shahin Salem Al Dosari. Head of the Organ-ising Committee for Marmi and Chairman of Qatar Al Gannas Society, Ali bin Khatem Al

Muhshadi said only three days passed since the beginning of the festival, the number of con-testants who hunted the pigeon are high. He said that the com-pletion will be tough between pigeon and falcons thanks to the preparations of contestants and organising committee.

Al Muhshadi said growing number of pigeon hunters and those qualified for final round because of high number of reg-istration for the championship which accounted 971 partici-pants including 40 from GCC.

He said that this big number

of participation were recorded first time since the launch of the festival 12 years ago, expecting more participations in coming years. Al Muhshadi called par-ticipants and visitors to follow strictly COVID-19 measures to protect themselves and others from the pandemic.

He said that the Committee received suggests of partici-pants specially those partici-pated with more than one bird in one contest as some con-dition were put to change the timing of participation for their convenience.

A contestant releasing his falcon for the competition.

Al Wakra Municipality recorded 27 violations at food outlets last monthTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Al Wakra Municipality represented by Health Monitoring Section recorded 27 violations of the provisions of the Law No. 8 of 1990 for regulating foods at food outlets across the municipality in December, 2020. The municipal inspectors made a total of 1,107 inspection visits to food outlets during the period of study. The Director of Al Wakra Municipality issued an administrative decision to shut down two eateries for violating the food law.

Health Monitoring Section received eight complaints which were addressed immediately. The food samples were sent to the central laboratory for ensure whether the items were fit for human consumption. The veterinary team supervised slaughtering process of 22,921 animals in automated slaughterhouse of Al Wakra. A total of 777 slaughtered animals were destroyed completely after they were found unfit for human consumption.

FAZEENA SALEEM THE PENINSULA

Qatar has a huge potential to become a vibrant and world-leading business landscape. With sustainability at the core, Qatar’s goal of creating a sustainable economy can be propelled by the next generation of young Qataris in higher institutions conducting relevant researches to solve problems and position the country as a business destination in the region and worldwide.

An ardent researcher of this phenomenon is Mohammed Al Housani. He did his Master of Science in Sustainable Energy pro-gramme at Hamad Bin Khalifa Uni-versity (HBKU) College of Science and Engineering. During the pro-gramme, Al Housani conducted important research and developed photovoltaic (PV) cleaning technol-ogies and techniques tailored to Qatar’s climate to maximize power generation potential.

It is worth to note that solar power is severely undermined because of the dusty weather. Over a year, just one square kilometre of land in the Qatar desert receives solar energy equivalent to 1.5 million barrels of oil. Yet, solar energy potential remains untapped primarily due to two significant obstacles, dusty conditions coupled with heat.

Meanwhile, Al Housani, for his Ph.D. degree in Sustainable Energy, developed an interest in the recent economic crises and subsequent reduction in oil prices, which affected all oil and gas-based economies.

“I was studying economic sus-tainability in Qatar, and through

reading and personal experiences, I clearly understood Qatar’s need to diversify its economy. One of the most impactful ways to achieve that is by further developing the private sector through entrepreneurship. I am now researching the business ecosystem to develop a model that can bring out all of the unharnessed potentials of Qatar’s business land-scape,” he said.

In the long term, Al Housani hopes that his research will con-tribute to Qatar National Vision

2030 and tackle challenges that the country is now facing or will be facing in the future.

“Also, by developing my skills and being a successful pioneer in my field, I believe others will be motivated to follow in my footsteps. This will eventually help Qatar establish itself as a knowledge hub in the region,” he said.

Sharing how his education at HBKU helped Al Housani said, “I was able to enhance my skills and knowledge. I have noticed an improvement in my decision-making capabilities, which also helped me look at things from a holistic, sustainable, and long-term view. This really enhanced my ability to strategize and set long-term goals.”

“I was very proud to win the Education Excellence Award as a student from HBKU because I had the great honour of being awarded by the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. This was sub-stantial evidence that HBKU stu-dents are really delivering at national and even international level,” he added.

HBKU is a young university, yet students benefit from top-tier

faculty and a very supportive administration overall.

“I realized that HBKU is already ahead in many ways and will only get better. Today, I feel more con-fident being part of a very diverse, well-connected yet academically strong, socially, and economically relevant research group led by my advisers Dr. Muammer Koc and H E Dr. Mohammad Al Sada.

“The group also includes a highly intellectual group of Ph.D. candidates studying different sus-tainability aspects such as sus-tainable economy, organizational (in)efficiency, human capital strategy, women entrepre-neurship, digital media, and sus-tainable living and habits. Also nanotechnology for efficient solar energy, 3D Printing for advanced medical devices, industry-uni-versity partnerships, and strat-egies for LNG markets,” said Al Housani.

He asserts that HBKU is the right place for anyone seeking a world-class education and to conduct research that is both applicable to real problems and relevant to the Grand Challenges.

DOHA TODAY06 MONDAY 4 JANUARY 2021

I was very proud to win the Education Excellence Award as a student from HBKU because I had the great honour of being awarded by the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. This was substantial evidence that HBKU students are really delivering at national and even international level.

Mohammed Al Housani

HBKU supporting Qatar’s scientific ambitions

Puttalam Zahira emerge champions of Ozee Soccer 7’STHE PENINSULA – DOHA

Puttalam Zahira FC Qatar has become cham-pions of 2020 edition of the Ozee Soccer 7’S Sri Lankan community football tournament which was held recently in Doha.

The tournament was organised by Colombo Zahira Old Boys in Qatar and eight teams rep-resenting alumni of leading schools in Sri Lanka competed for championship. During the final match of the tournament, Puttalam Zahira FC Qatar won against Mawanella Zahira FC.

Hamthiyas Mohamed of Puttalam Zahira FC won the Best Player of the Finals Award while Mohamed Rishard of Puttalam Zahira FC won the Best Player of the Tournament Award. Muhazzam Mohideen of Mawanella Zahira FC bagged the Best Goalkeeper Award.

Puttalam Zahira FC team led by the Captain Mohamed Musthakeem and he made the team as unbeaten throughout the tournament.

The final game was followed by a grand closing ceremony where each of the players were presented with an award of participation.

On behalf of Puttalam Zahirians, President Isham Marikar thanked all the players of

Puttalam Zahira FC, Coach Shakeel, Executive Committee Members, all supporters for their commitment to win Ozee Soccer 7’S Sri Lankan

community football tournament in Qatar. The tournaments was held following COVID

19 safety measures.

Champions Squad

At Hamad Medical Corporation we are utilizing advanced technology and innovative systems to deliver the highestquality care to Qatar’s population.

www.hamad.qa

Ultra-modern operatingtheaters

State-of-the-art ambulancefleet

Highly-advanced patientinformation systems

Cutting-edge treatments forcancer

Envoys continue participating in Plant Million Tree initiativeTHE PENINSULA – DOHA

Several ambassadors have partici-pated in the Plant Million Tree initi-ative of the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME). The Ambas-sadors planted trees in separate events organised by the Public Parks Department at MME.

The envoys include Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Qatar H E Zhou Jian; Ambassador of Japan to Qatar, H E Kazuo Sunaga;

Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Qatar H E Mehmet Mustafa Goksu and Ambassador of the Republic of Mali to Qatar, H E Cheick Ahmed Tidiany.

The ongoing initiative focuses on planting saplings of trees suited for the Qatari climate, such as Sidr, Ghaf, Samar, and many more. Under the initiative, trees are being planted along highways, industrial areas, sewage plants, treatment units and storage, rainwater

harvesting sites, cities and municipal strips, public parks, schools, and res-idential complexes.

Plant Million Tree initiative was launched by the MME under Qatar’s commitment to the Paris Agreement, as trees have special significance in the environmental system.

The initiative aims to promote biodiversity, take advantage of treated water for irrigation, improve the country’s air quality, and increase the green patch to reduce

gas emissions. The initiative is open to all com-

munities, institutions, governmental agencies, private sector, corporate sector, schools, educational entities, youth centers, sports clubs, and all citizens and expatriates.

The initiative is open to all commu-nities, institutions, governmental agencies, private sector, corporate sector, schools, educational entities, youth centers, sports club, and all cit-izens and expatriates. Interested people,

including individuals, companies, and organisations can register financially or in-kind support or scientific contri-bution via e-mail, the Ministry’s app on smartphones, and the initiative section at any mall.

The MME also launched a dedi-cated website https://www.mme.gov.qa/static/million-tree/ to boost the initiative’ Plant Million Tree’ where people can contribute to the initiative with different seedlings and pay online.

FROM LEFT: Ambassador of Turkey to Qatar, H E Mehmet Mustafa Goksu; Ambassador of China to Qatar, H E Zhou Jian, and Ambassador of Mali to Qatar, H E Cheick Ahmed Tidiany, participating in the Plant Million Tree initiative of the Ministry of Municipality and Environment.

07MONDAY 4 JANUARY 2021 DOHA TODAY

Qatar Theatrical Group's first election to empower youthTHE PENINSULA - DOHA

The Ministry of Culture and Sports has launched its first election for the positions of President and Vice President of the Qatar Theatrical Group.

The election is aimed at enhancing a culture of partici-pation, improving institutional performance, empowering youth, and engaging young people to contribute to the devel-opment of cultural movement.

The election is a by-product of the Ministry’s previous suc-cesses in empowering young people to manage youth centres and sports clubs.

The Ministry works to activate the role of youth and involve them through turning them into an essential element who play an important role in the country’s development, progress, and prosperity.

The Qatar Theatrical Group is scheduled to enter

the new organisational phase after the General Assembly meeting to be held at the beginning of the fourth week of this month.

The next step will con-tribute to developing the the-atrical movement to serve artistes and those interested in theatre.

Meanwhile, artiste Hamad Abdel Reda, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Qatar Theatrical Group, said, “We

aim to regulate theatrical practice in Qatar and enhance transparency within theatrical groups. We have opened reg-istration again for mem-bership, and the process has seen the enrollment of new members, in addition to more than 150 existing members.”

Reda also called on all members to actively participate in the General Assembly, for fairness in line with the mission of the Ministry of Culture and

Sports to enable the working bodies to perform their tasks and coordinate among themselves.

For his part, Nasser Abdel Reda, Head of the Cultural and Artistic Committee of Qatar Theatrical Group, said, “Such new regulations will con-tribute to organising the the-atrical movement in Qatar, and promote democratic practice within the cultural and artistic affairs, through

election and voting.”He also praised the success

of elections in sports clubs, helping them manage partici-pation, which also applies to the cultural and artistic movement due to its importance in society in ensuring young people’s rights.

In addition, the election also aims to have the right minds to manage artistic and theatrical affairs as per Qatar National Vision 2030.

AMUAAQ holds virtual condolence meeting for late philanthropist

THE PENINSULA - DOHA

Aligarh Muslim University Alumni Association Qatar (AMUAAQ) held a virtual condolence meeting on December 28 on the sad demise of Dr. Mohammed Sabih (MS) Bukhari, an Indian busi-nessman, philanthropist and patron of AMUAAQ, who passed away on December 21 at the age of 57.

The meeting started with recitation from the Holy Quran by Sadiq Khan followed by its Urdu translation and Dua-e-Maghfirat.

Dr. Ashna Nusrat delivered a keynote address on the life and achievements of late Dr. MS Bukhari.

Prof. Tariq Mansoor, Vice-Chancellor Aligarh Muslim Uni-versity expressed sorrow on the demise of Dr. MS Bhukhari. While offering heartfelt sym-pathy and condolence, he said that their thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved family. He hoped that the family can draw strength in this hour of grief and said AMUAAQ stands shoulder to shoulder with the family in this difficult time.

P N Babu Rajan, President

of Indian Community Benev-olent Forum (ICBF) expressed deep sorrow and sympathy towards the family.

Jawed Ahmed, President of AMUAAQ, also expressed his deep sorrow on the passing of Dr. M S Bukhari.

While paying tribute to him, Ahmed said: “His contributions were tremendous and he had a remarkable personality. It’s a big loss for the whole Aligs fra-ternity. He was an iconic person and very supportive of eve-rybody. Nobody can fill this gap. We pray Almighty give him the highest place in Jannah.”

Milan Arun, former ICC, President, while paying tribute to him, said he was a kind and gentle person. He owned his signature style of presence. “On this difficult time on behalf of AMUAAQ, we pray to Almighty to give fortitude to his family and give him the highest place in heaven.”

Shahabuddin Ahmed, from Bazm-e-Sadaf Urdu Academy, expressed his heartfelt sym-pathy to Dr. MS Bukhari’s family. He spoke about his con-tribution as a member of Bazm-e-Sadaf Urdu Academy.

Mohammed Farman Khan

(GS), Shazia Yahya, Juttas Paul, Anish George, Najmul Hassan Khan, Maqsood Anwer, Seenu Pillai, Mohd. Irfanullah, Rashid Chisti, Gufran Ali Khan, S Akbar Bukhari, Sanjeev Sharma, Mohammaed Naim, Anish George, Arshad Haque, Rafat Jahan, Johny Foster, Deepak shetty, Shahid Tandon, Rashmi Agarwal, Naved Alam, Anshu Jain, Irfan Mohammed Khan, Syed Mohd Zakiullah (Editor) and Khalid Hussain expressed condolences on the sad demise of Dr. MS Bukhari.

An incomplete short film on Bukhari also played for four minutes which will be com-pleted by Shahid as requested by Alumni President.

One of his very close friends Mohd Nabi said: “Life is a cycle which starts with birth and ends with death. On this demise of my friend MS Bukhari, I am here with a sorrowful heart to be a part in the sad moments of the family.”

The life partner of MS Bukhari, Sophia said: “He was a great man because his presence at home was like bulbul in the garden. He was a very supportive and happy-hearted person in his life.”

BDKQ welcomes 2021 with blood donation campBlood Donors Kerala-Qatar (BDKQ) organised a blood donation camp on New Year's day in partnership with Radio Malayalam 98.6FM and IBIN Ajayan Projects in coordination with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). The massive participation of donors once again proved that an act of kindness can make a big humanitarian contribution.

THROUGH THE LENSWith a massive plant maze shaped like Qatar's map inspired by human fingerprint, the 5/6 Park makes a unique destination which is fast becoming a must-visit for families and health enthusiasts who wish to immerse themselves in art while engaging in fitness activities. The park boasts of a collection of murals and public art installations, playground, jogging track, walkways, bicycle track, fitness equipment, and lots of green areas among its many features. PICS: SALIM MATRAMKOT/THE PENINSULA

Mobile theatre show staged at Al Khor ParkTHE PENINSULA - DOHA

The Theater Affairs Center at the Ministry of Culture and Sports organised recently the activities of ‘Arbat Al Zaman’ (mobile theater) in Al Khor Park.

The world-famous mobile theatre is known to reach the public in their places of resi-dence and gatherings, such as public places, parks, and other areas in the country.

This type of theatre was being held for the first time in Qatar.

The Director of the Theater Affairs Center of the Ministry of Culture and Sports, Salah Al Mulla, said: “The mobile theater activities were held at Al Khor Park for the first time in Qatar, after the availability and activation of all theatrical elements related to children’s theatre, school and university theater, and the puppet theater."

Al Mulla added that during this period, the focus was on puppet theatre, so the idea of a mobile theatre, which dates back to more than 200 years ago, came about, as this vehicle

moves from one region to another with the participation of a group of artistes.

He said that the main goal of this activity is to reach 2022 and participate in the launching activities of FIFA World Cup 2022, which will be hosted by Qatar, holding a number of sto-rytelling and theatrical per-formances, in which characters and stories had an impact in the world and on humanity.

He said that these activities focus on children, enhance the value of research and

exploration, and make use of simple resources to achieve the goals that are reflected by the themes chosen for the theat-rical performances in the mobile theatre.

Al Mulla stressed that the Center for Theater Affairs is keen to ensure that the mobile theatre travels to all regions of the country, and be present in public parks and com-mercial complexes according to the conditions and precau-tionary measures followed in the state.

Cooperation among nations is indispensable for the early abating of the novel coronavirus pandemic and the recovery of the global economy. The international system of cooperation needs to be rebuilt, using the change of administration in the United States as an opportunity.

08 MONDAY 4 JANUARY 2021VIEWS

CHAIRMANDR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDR. KHALID BIN MUBARAK AL-SHAFIeditorinchief@pen.com.qa

ACTING MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED SALIM MOHAMEDm.salim@pen.com.qa

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED OSMAN ALI osman@pen.com.qa

EDITORIAL

A staggering 63 events - international, national and regional - have been scheduled for the next 12 months by the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC). With most countries around the world struggling to resume or run their annual sports events because of the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe, the QOC has announced that the hosts of the 2022 FIFA World Cup will plan and deliver sports events the fans are waiting to see around different venues in the country.

One of the biggest events on the QOC calendar for 2021 is the FIFA Club World Cup to be held in Qatar from Feb 1 to 11. This will be the second time the mas-sively popular football event for world’s premier clubs is staged by Qatar. In December 2019, the same event made its debut and English football giants Liverpool clinched the title after a pulsating final held at the iconic Khalifa International Stadium, one of eight venues of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Two weeks of tennis spectacle on the ATP and the WTA tours will be held in March when Doha hosts the Qatar Total Open (March 1 to 7) and the Qatar Exxon-Mobil (March 8 to 14). The 14 days of tennis action will be held at the Khalifa Tennis Complex in back-to-back weeks. It is important to remind the readers that the Australian Open qualifiers will be held from Jan 10-13 at the same venue.

Other key international sports events on Qatari soil include FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour (Feb 22 to 26), CHI Al Shaqab (Feb 25 to 27), Longines Global Champions Tour (Mar 4 to 6), FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour- Katara Beach Volleyball Cup (Mar 8 to 12) and Table Tennis final qualifiers and qualifying for Tokyo Olympics (Mar 15 to 20). The Qatar Masters golf (Mar 11 to 14), FINA Marathon Swim World Series (10Km) on Mar 12 and FIBA Basketball Ball 3x3 World Tour (Mar 26 -27) will be the events to be wrapped up in the month of March.

The months after the Olympic Games - to be held in July-August this year - will be just as busy for QOC when annual events like Qatar Classic squash event, the QOC Beach Games, FIBA basketball tournaments and ITF tennis championships are staged from Sep-tember to December this year.

Doha, the hosts of the 2030 Asian Games, clearly deserves to be applauded for bringing back action at the sports facilities around the country. The last four months have been extremely busy with sports pages in English and Arabic newspapers routinely filled with positive news seven days of the week. Long may it continue.

QOC’s bold step

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Quote of the day

The living conditions of hundreds of homeless migrants in Bosnia are completely unacceptable. Lives and basic human rights of many hundreds of people are seriously jeopardized.

Johann Sattler, EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina

World Health Organization building, in Geneva, Switzerland.

JAPAN NEWS-YOMIURI

Building a world in which people can travel freely and prosper together under common rules: The blows and unrest brought about by the novel coronavirus have high-lighted the importance of this vision.

Cooperation among nations is indispensable for the early abating of the novel coronavirus pandemic and the recovery of the global economy. The international system of cooperation needs to be rebuilt, using the change of administration in the United States as an opportunity.

US President-elect Joe Biden has advocated multilat-eralism and the importance of alliances. The question now is whether the United States will be able to make a smooth transition from President Donald Trump’s “America first” initiative.

During the four years of Trump politics, which neglected international agreements and frameworks, US leadership and trust have been lost. Even though the United States is a medically advanced country, it is seeing the world’s highest number of infections and deaths from the virus, instead of taking a leading role in counter-measures against the pandemic.

Trump’s unpredictable actions also caused confusion